Directed Studies

Directed Studies, a selective program for first-year students, is an interdisciplinary introduction to influential texts of Western civilization, from ancient Greece to the twentieth century. A coherent program of study, Directed Studies encourages students to put rich and complex texts into conversation with one another across time to make connections across traditional disciplinary boundaries. Students in Directed Studies learn to analyze challenging and urgent texts, become valuable members of seminar discussions, and to write clear and persuasive analytic essays. Fall term begins with classical antiquity and the Bible, and ends with the Middle Ages. Spring term begins with the Renaissance and ends with the twentieth century. Enrollment in DS fulfills the distributional requirements in humanities and arts, in social science, and in writing.

Application to Directed Studies

Enrollment in DS is limited to approximately ten-percent of the first-year class, and the number of qualified candidates exceeds the number of places. Based on their Yale College applications, some exceptionally qualified students are offered places in DS upon admission to Yale. All other first-year students who matriculate in Yale College are invited to apply. Selection is made on the basis of a written essay and statement submitted by the applicant. Secondary school records, College Board scores, and AP scores may also be taken into account. If you are interested in being considered for this program, you must apply online by Friday, June 2, 2017. Applicants will be notified of admission decisions by the end of June.